Excess body fat, or adipose tissue, may be present at various locations of a subject's body and may detract from personal appearance. Aesthetic improvement of the human body often involves the selective removal of adipose tissue located at the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, knees, submental region, face and arms, as well as other locations. Invasive procedures (e.g., liposuction), however, tend to be associated with relative high costs, long recovery times, and increased risk of complications. Injection of drugs for reducing adipose tissue can cause significant swelling, bruising, pain, numbness, and/or induration.
Conventional non-invasive treatments for reducing adipose tissue often include regular exercise, application of topical agents, use of weight-loss drugs, dieting, or a combination of these treatments. One drawback of these non-invasive treatments is that they may not be effective or even possible under certain circumstances. For example, when a person is physically injured or ill, regular exercise may not be an option. Topical agents and orally administered weight-loss drugs are not an option if, as another example, they cause an undesirable reaction, such as an allergic or negative reaction. Additionally, non-invasive treatments may be ineffective for selectively reducing specific regions of adiposity, such as localized adipose tissue along the hips, abdomen, thighs, or the like.
Conventional non-invasive vacuum cooling devices suck a fold of skin between two spaced apart cooled plates that are generally parallel to one another. The cooling device can cool and thermally damage targeted tissue. Unfortunately, only opposites sides of the skin fold contact the cooled plates, which limits the cooling capabilities of the cooling devices. Additionally, the end of the tissue fold located in a gap between the plates may experience pooling of blood. A vacuum may cause rupturing of blood vessels and lead to bruising of the skin located in the gap. Accordingly, conventional invasive and non-invasive treatments are not suitable for many subjects and cannot effectively target certain regions of tissue.